The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-12
A DEMOCRATIC EVICTION.

DGMUURAT1C EVICTION.
While we are talking Of Irish evictions,
we have come near having on a
considerable scale nearer home. In 1861
or '62 Mr.. Stanton, then Secretary of
War, issued an order permitting colored
refugees, or freedmen as they were then called,
to settle on the outskirts of the Arlington es-
tate. This the property of Gen. r. E.
Lee, lying just across the Potomac river from
Washington, and when Lee event South" was
confiscated by the government. Most of it
is poor, worn-out land of little agricultural
value. 1t has for many years been noted as
the site of soldiers cemetery, and is now
owned by the government. Under Mr..
Stanton's order colored refugees began to
f'squat" on portion of the estate, and soon
little village sprang up. They were a helpless
lot and for quite while were supported by the
military authorities When the Freedmen's
Bureau was established it took charge of
them, furnished them lumber to build houses
and helped them along in other ways. Those
who were able paid for the lumber, and some
paid ground rent. The Freedmens Bureau
was long since abolished, and with it govern
ment aid Of the freedmens village ceased.
Nevertheless, the village continued to grow,
in rambling sort of fashion, until it now
contains about 1000 people. It is pictur-
esque tumble of shanties one story OF one
story and half high. with little loop-holes of
windows and the usual environments of
gro cottages. In the summer time the little
yards are profusely decorated with climbing
gourd-vines and with colored children. There
is also rather superfuity of dogs. The in
habitants pick up living as best they
They very poor, but they have managed
to build a church and school-house, and have
a good school. All this is on government
land-very poor land it is true, and land for
which the government has no particular use,
still it is government land. The negroes have
been paying rent at the rate of 81 per
acre, but that cut figure in the
case. They were there, sort of
fixed fact, and the government permitted
them to remain there. A few days ago, how
ever, an order was issued for their eviction.
This administration had discovered that the
negro squatters are there only by sufferance,
and decided that they must 60. It was dis
covered that in the event of certain real
estate scheme succeeding the ground occupied
by the colored village could be turned into
government park. This was remote
contingency, but it answered the purpose,
and the Secretary of War issued an
order for the breaking up of the village
and the removal of the negroes, bag and bag
gage. This is an inclement season of the
year, and they. had no place to go to, but
they must go. The administration had so de-
creed, and the. Secretary of War ordered it
They could not take their church. their school
house nor their cabins with them, but they
could take their clothes, their children and their
dogs. Perhaps they ought to be thankful that
a Democratic administration permitted even
that. The spectacle of colored village being
broken up and thousand people-men, wom-
en- and children-being turned out of their
homes in the dead of winter. under the 1msy
pretext that the government might sometime
need the ground for park, would indeed be
a disgrace to American civilization. The order
should have been withheld a few weeks and
issued on Christmas. 1t would have been a
fine commentary on the text of good will to
good will to colored men.
The annals of Irish history may be searched
invain for an eviction equal to this in whole
sale atrocity and diabolical cruelty. Happily,
however, the issuance of the order became
known before it was put in force, and friends
Of the colored people began to protest against
it. The administration saw the signs of an
approaching storm, and the order was hastily
revoked. They did not dare to enforce it. It
was the rebel flag again.